Pokemon Champions is shaping up to be an incredible battle simulator for the series on the Nintendo Switch console line, even ahead of its mobile release. The Pokemon Company has already released several free rewards, including a free Dragonite for playing the game within the first month and the first Mystery Gift. It has also given fans online competitions to enjoy outside of its ranked and casual battles. But this latest announcement combines all of this and more, with a new special recruit roster, upcoming Global Challenge, and a free Pokemon reward.
Pokemon Champions allows players to jump in for free, but offers in-game purchases to speed up recruiting Pokemon and to expand the box, allowing players to hold more Pokemon. These can be earned through online competitions, making the upcoming Global Challenge a great opportunity. This event will also give players a free Venosaur, a Pokemon that is very viable in the current meta. And to help players prepare for this challenge, a new recruit roster is available that makes it more likely to get strong Pokemon.
Pokemon Champions is hosting the next online competition, and the Global Challenge 2026 will begin on May 1st at 02:00 UTC. Registration has already opened and will close before the event begins. Players participating in this will be playing Doubles, and should bring their best teams if they want to compete at the highest level. This event is especially appealing to players in Japan and Korea, as it allows them to earn placement for the National Champions and win a place toward the 2026 Pokemon World Championships.
However, all Pokemon Champions players should pay attention, as playing three matches will earn rewards like a Venusaur in a Cherish Ball and 100 Quick Coupons. Venosaur is proving to be an excellent partner with Charizard Y in the current meta, and the Quick Coupons will let players save their VP when recruiting Pokemon. All players have to do is play three matches in the Global Challenge to unlock these rewards.
In addition to the next online competition and free Pokemon, Pokemon Champions has also added a new special roster. While this does not add any new Pokemon to the game, it does give players increased odds of getting certain Pokemon in their lineup, which we’ll list below. Many of the Pokemon in this roster seem directed toward weather teams, which are popular in the meta currently. Players can opt between recruiting from this special roster or getting Pokemon from the existing roster. Here are all Pokemon available in the Pokemon Champions Global Challenge 2026 Special Roster. This is available until May 4th at 01:59 UTC.
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